Team Queensland
Collaborative research and industry development
Dr Maddie James from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture working on the genetics of plant adaptation
Queensland is renowned for its strong collaborative culture supported by cutting-edge infrastructure. Accessible, state-of-the-art scientific infrastructure is a vital component of modern innovation ecosystems. The ‘Team Queensland’ approach supports multidisciplinary collaboration and strong industry partnerships to deliver leading research outcomes and accelerate the development and commercialisation of ideas.
The Team Queensland approach across Queensland’s universities and key Queensland agencies including Trade and Investment Queensland, Queensland Investment Corporation, Queensland Government departments (State Development and Infrastructure, Queensland Health , Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation) and our universities helps connect potential investors and research collaborators.
Queensland Science Research Infrastructure
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The ‘Team Queensland’ approach brings universities and industry partners together, delivers research outcomes and accelerates the commercialisation of ideas.
Below are some ‘Team Queensland’ outcomes.
Team Queensland – shared research infrastructure
Research Infrastructure Queensland Alliance
Research Infrastructure Queensland Alliance (RIQA) is a coalition of all the major Queensland universities: The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, University of the Sunshine Coast, Griffith University, University of Southern Queensland, Central Queensland University, James Cook University, Southern Cross University, as well as the Translational Research Institute, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, CSIRO, Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Queensland Government’s Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
RIQA aims include:
- coordinating major research infrastructure bids
- identifying future infrastructure opportunities
- providing a complete statewide list of available infrastructure, and
- maximising the effective use of all Queensland’s research infrastructure.
RIQA operates under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Access to and Acquisition of Research Infrastructure in Queensland .
The Alliance structure and the MOU enables the efficient use of research infrastructure, optimisation of the return on investment in research infrastructure and research funding generally, and of promoting greater research collaboration in Queensland.
A common framework provides for equitable and reciprocal access arrangements to the research infrastructure and the associated technical expertise listed in the schedule of the memorandum for all Queensland researchers. Contact Research Infrastructure Queensland Alliance.
Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation
The Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation Ltd (QCIF) represents an effective and efficient vehicle to deliver digital research infrastructure capabilities to the research community of Queensland. Under the Team Queensland approach, all the universities and several other research organisations in the State co-invest as members of QCIF, contributing to maintaining and further advancing a critical mass of digital capabilities, allowing the breadth and depth of resources to be equitably available to both metropolitan and regional institutions. The cooperative approach underpinning QCIF has been, and continues to be, an effective structure for engaging and partnering on several projects under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Translational Science Hub
Queensland will become a global mRNA vaccine hub with leading healthcare company Sanofi partnering with the Queensland Government, The University of Queensland and Griffith University to establish the Translational Science Hub utilising laboratories and infrastructure in south east Queensland. When asked in December 2022, why pharmaceutical giant Sanofi chose Queensland to set up a $280 million mRNA hub, their Global Head of Vaccine Research and Development, Dr Toussaint said:
I know for sure we've been seduced from day one by the quality of the scientists that we saw here, but also very much seduced by the one Queensland team approach, meaning everybody looking in the same direction, speaking in the same direction, actually no surprises through the processes, certainly here with the government and with the universities as well. So certainly, a partnership can only work if we all look in the same direction. And this is what we could find here.
Queensland Infectious Disease Research Capabilities
The Queensland research community is committed to working together to enhance infectious disease research capabilities to tackle future pandemics and the continued threats posed by viruses, microbes and pathogens, including antimicrobial resistance. The Queensland Infectious Disease Research Capabilities document is the outcome of a collaborative and comprehensive audit of infectious disease research capabilities across the state conducted in conjunction with Griffith University, QIMR Berghofer, The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Bond University, University of the Sunshine Coast, James Cook University and the Translational Research Institute. The capabilities document demonstrates the strengths of the Queensland network of infectious disease scientists and clinicians recognised internationally for their research excellence.
Queensland quantum and advanced technologies
Queensland is at the forefront of quantum and advanced technology research in Australia. Our universities host the headquarters of two of the four national quantum-related Australian Research Council Centres of Excellence and have a significant presence in the other two. Queensland has industry-facing advanced fabrication and materials capabilities across five universities. The Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technologies Strategy, developed in partnership with Queensland universities, builds on Queensland’s strengths in quantum research and advanced technology development.
Team Queensland – Queensland Government co-investment in research infrastructure
Research Infrastructure Co-investment Fund (RICF)
The Queensland Government established the Research Infrastructure Co-investment Fund (RICF) in 2019 to strategically leverage Federal Government funding to support and advance key research infrastructure initiatives in Queensland that align with state priorities and global challenges.
The purpose of RICF is to provide co-investment into Queensland facilities for world-class research and translational infrastructure that supports the work of our talented scientists who are addressing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
To date, through RICF, the Queensland Government has invested over $26 million in critical co-investment across 10 national research infrastructure facilities based in Queensland to ensure our scientists have leading edge translational infrastructure in which to do their work.
This investment is continuing to provide benefits to Queensland including driving new breakthroughs in cancer and infectious diseases, enabling the development of quantum computing, understanding the impact of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef, accelerating drug discovery , improving agricultural productivity, advancing device fabrication for vaccine patches and decoding the DNA of deadly viruses such as COVID-19.
Investment in major research precincts
Queensland Health and Food Sciences Precinct
The Queensland Government has invested in major collaborative research precincts for over two decades. These include the multi-award winning Ecosciences Precinct, the Herston Health Precinct and the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct.
A current initiative, the Boggo Road Innovation Precinct incorporates several anchor institutions (including the Ecosciences Precinct, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Translational Research Institute, Patheon by Thermo Fisher Scientific, and the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence) into a much larger zone and proposed the construction of additional research and advanced manufacturing facilities.